The Servant of the Priestess
by GoldenMoon1997
Summary: A newly minted Priestess finds herself in the middle of a power play between two legendary beings. What will she do, now that she is dragged into a war she never - and should never have- had a part in the first place?
1. The Torch Is Passed On

**AN:** This is the product of an idea I had a few months ago. After much debate, I decided to give it a shot. This is the first time I'm writing a multi-chaptered fic, so I hope you like it!

**Disclaimer:** The last time I checked, Masashi Kishimoto was a guy. And even if I were him, I'd rather be spending my time working on the next Naruto chapter before my fans decided to murder me.

* * *

**THE SERVANT OF THE PRIESTESS**

**XXXX**

**PROLOGUE**

_ Thousands of years ago, when the forests that wound through the Land of Fire were mere saplings thriving with youth, a conflict arose between two divine beings. It was an event that hadn't been seen ever since Amaterasu-Ō-Mi-Kami had secured her position as the Great Goddess, and proved herself to the lesser demons and spirits alike. This conflict caused a disturbance to spread across the World of the Living, and eventually became the cause of the drought that burned up the Land of Wind. It became the reason that earthquakes ravaged through the Land of Lightning, leaving it a rocky and desolate landscape. Before we can begin our story, dear reader, we must first speak of this conflict that took place between the two powerful beings - between the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and Amaterasu herself._

_ Amaterasu was prideful, there didn't exist a mortal or spirit that was ignorant of that fact. She was a being of great beauty, both in appearance and in personality, but her pride was her greatest weakness, as it tends to be. When she had heard that one of the kitsune was moving through ranks quickly and gaining more tails day by day, Amaterasu was barely interested in the happenings of the Demon Realm. But had she opened her eyes and taken a closer look, she would have noticed the ambitions of the young demon. Naruto - or the Kyuubi, as mortals called him – had been the first kitsune to gain all of the nine tails of the infamous fox spirits in millenniums. Through his growing strength came determination, and through determination came his confidence. Soon, he was confident enough - enough to challenge Amaterasu herself. _

_ He had seen the destruction wrought upon the world by the humans. Despite being a fire spirit by creation, and thus being prone to destruction, he was still disgusted with the way humans ungratefully damaged the world gifted to them. The young kitsune had grown to hate them with a passion, and sought to wipe them out. But as the humans were watched over by the Amaterasu, he had to make the Goddess submit to him first. _

_ As you might predict, Amaterasu wasn't happy to be challenged by a young demon. The war between the two that followed was a horrible catastrophe. It was a war that would make the worst battles of the mortals pale next to it in comparison. Those times were the darkest for the human kind. A lot of them lost their faith in deities. The world suffered from the imbalance. Even though things settled in time and the Kyuubi was forced to retreat back to the Demon Realm, Amaterasu was faced with a fact: She wasn't strong enough to vanquish the demon. She was unable to secure her rule after the war had come to a standstill, as she would have found herself greatly weakened had she followed the demon into his home. As a result, the conflict remained unresolved for centuries. _

_During that time, however, balance was partly restored to the living world. Humans regained their beliefs, and myths spread across the lands, speaking of the Great War. Shrines dedicated to Amaterasu and her servants were built, in the hopes that mortals' prayers would help her win against the demon. However, there were also a handful of humans who believed that a catalyst was unavoidable - that the fire demon was sure to triumph. Those built their own shrines dedicated to the Great Kitsune, in the hopes that he would spare their lives when the time came. _

_How is this related to our tale, you ask? Well, you see… In the hopes of finally ending the war once and for all, Amaterasu made a choice that went against all of her teachings. For the first time since the very beginning, she chose out of selfishness. She chose to assist a mortal in her ill deed, putting her own plans into motion in the process._

_Amaterasu could never have known how well her plans would work out, and how much of an impact it would have throughout the realms._

* * *

**CHAPTER 1 – THE TORCH IS PASSED ON**

The sun rose brightly over the mountains bordering the capital of the Land of Fire. With the sun's early rays bathing the buildings in a crimson glow, the whole city looked like a page out of a fairy tale. The brightly painted wooden houses, their colors enhanced by the light, gave off a cheery and warm atmosphere. On top of the cliffs overlooking the settlements, a magnificent building stood, surrounded by a halo of sunlight.

It was in this building, in this shrine dedicated to the Goddess of the Sun, that a young woman had just woken up to a new sunrise and stood watching over the city. From the large panes of the window, the entirety of it could be easily seen, stretching out from the feet of the cliffs. The woman sighed, a small smile on her face. She was ready to face a new day.

The sun's rays illuminated her pale features and soft pink hair. A pair of expressive, jade irises took in the breath-taking view. Her slender figure was clad in a loose kimono decorated with cherry blossoms. The red obi that circled her waist showed off her modest chest and subtle-yet-there curves. She had an innocent and youthful look about her, coupled by her enchanting beauty.

The young priestess was still in shock. Barely a day before, all she had been, was just a trainee. She had been expecting to take on the title of priestess soon enough, but never, in her wildest dreams, had she expected to be given the position of the Head Priestess. The young woman was aware that, ever since Tsunade Senju - who had held the position for the longest time - had decided to retire and go into seclusion, a new Head Priestess had to be chosen. All of the other trainees knew it, and Sakura Haruno had been quite sure that it would be given to one of them, rather than her.

There was Ino, and Hinata, both of whom had been her friends for a long time. They had taken to studying very hard to learn all that there was about being a priestess, and Ino, particularly, had been keen on getting the position in Tsunade-sama's place. She had surely been confident enough, possessing a determination to be the best of the best. Hinata, on the other hand, despite being quiet and shy, had possessed a gentleness and compassion surpassing that of any other priestess before her. Both of them had been obvious candidates, yet Tsunade-sama hadn't chosen either of them.

Then there had been Ami, who had been Sakura's self-proclaimed rival. Their relationship had been rocky at best, but they were civil enough while interacting with each other. The pink-haired woman dreaded the day she would see her again, though. Ami had been anything but happy when the previous Head Priestess had announced her pick. Sakura had always thought that all would be well between her and Ami one day, yet the hatred filled look she received from the other girl at the time had proven that this went beyond a petty competition.

As she absent-mindedly brushed her pink locks with the hairbrush she had taken from her nightstand, still gazing down at the city, Sakura was troubled. She was troubled thinking what Ami's animosity could mean for her in the near future.

The young woman was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the knocking on the door to her chambers. It was one of the shrine-keepers, who had come to check on her. Sighing one more time, and mentally preparing herself for a trying day, the pinkette walked over to her bed to put down the brush and quickly left her room.

As she walked through the dimly lit corridor leading to the main chambers, with the shrine-keeper by her side, Sakura mentally chastised herself for having such depressive thoughts this early in the morning.

* * *

So...what do you think? I won't promise a date for the next update. But please review people, so I can at least know whether it is worth continuing.


	2. Conspiracies

**Disclaimer: Me no own Naruto.**

* * *

**Place / Time**

"Talking"

_Thinking_

_Japanese Words/Suffixes_

"**Demonic/Distorted Voice"**

* * *

CHAPTER 2: CONSPIRACIES

**The Night Following the Announcement**

Ami Tsukino was pissed.

No… what she felt was beyond anger, beyond rage. It was a boiling mix of hatred and jealousy, woven together to create an endless wrath.

From the first time Ami had stepped through the doors of the shrine dedicated to Amaterasu, she had been mesmerized. Mesmerized by the green gardens, mesmerized by the life within the temple grounds and mesmerized by the Goddess herself… It was then she had decided that she wished to become a part of that and learn all there was to know about being a servant of the Kami. She had been very young at the time, but something about the shrine had been soothing, welcoming. Even to this day, it never ceased to amaze the ambitious young woman how peaceful the atmosphere was up here, atop these steep cliffs. But tonight, as she walked among those beautiful trees and delicate flowers, even the pure and pervading presence of the Great Goddess couldn't calm the raging emotions within her heart.

All of her life had been spent preparing for this day. Every ambition Ami had ever possessed had been about taking on the mantle of her dear teacher. She had decided long ago that this would be the one thing she _would_ achieve, no matter the obstacles thrown her way. Didn't they say that once you worked hard enough for your dreams, the Goddess would see it fit to reward you? But where was Her justice? After all the sacrifices Ami had made for the sake of her wishes - the sacrifices she had made to serve Amaterasu to its fullest - Sakura had been the one chosen in her stead. Dear _sweet_ Sakura who always managed to perform the best in every duty. The same Sakura who never wanted the title, who could never be bothered to care about what the future brought.

"_I know not how my current actions will shape the futur__e, so why bother with guessing? All we can do is make sure we make the right choices at the right times and hope for the best." _

Ami shook her head, the words echoing in her mind. Oh, how she hated it when that girl started talking to her as if she were a little child… giving Ami advice as if she herself was oh-so-wise.

Tired of pondering, the woman stood up from the stone bench she had been sitting on. As she closed her eyes and turned her head to face the skies, the wind gently caressed her face. Standing there, in the dark of the night, she made a silent pledge.

_Let it be known that Ami Tsukino is not one to take kindly to defeat. _

Sakura, her rival, had taken away her sole purpose in life. And Ami wasn't about to let the pinkette get away with something that belonged to her.

Her mind set, she calmly walked back towards the shrine doors, aiming for the ages-old library hidden beneath the structure.

* * *

Sakura was in a good mood as she paced along the stone path winding through the gardens. It had been almost two weeks since her new position had been announced, and she wasn't surprised to find that her title brought with it a lot of new responsibilities. Purification rituals, funerals, weddings and countless other ceremonies… Suffice it to say, she counted herself very lucky for finding enough time to take a stroll in order to clear her mind.

Crossing the bright-red bridge built over the koi pond, the priestess let her mind wander, as she always seemed to do while here. It was a nice day, she thought, despite the exhausting morning. The sun shone up in the sky, its rays filtered by the blossoms of the sakura trees trailing alongside the pathway. Perhaps these trees were the reason she liked this part of the garden the most. The young woman looked at the delicate petals of the flowers she was named after, a smile gracing her face. Lost in her thoughts about the past few weeks, Sakura almost didn't notice the figure perched on one of the stone benches up ahead. There, sitting close to the _sakaki_ trees**(1)**, was none other than her best friend, who she was thrilled to see.

"Hey~! Forehead!" the figure screamed, who apparently was very happy to see the pinkette as well.

A vein pulsed on Sakura's temple, making her irritation painfully obvious. "Stop calling me that, Ino-_pig_!"

The blonde woman, Ino, looked around Sakura's age. She had her long hair pulled up into a ponytail, with bangs framing the right side of her face, and wore an ice-blue kimono that showed off her well-developed curves. Her blue eyes were alight with mirth.

In an act hardly expected from an adult, she stuck out her tongue in response, before giving a mocking bow to her friend.

"I apologize, _Nikkō__-sama_**(2)**. I shouldn't have made such a comment, despite how… um… _distracting _it is." she said as she straightened, gesturing towards the pinkette's face. "Wouldn't want to damage your new-found reputation."

Despite the frown marring her face, deep down, Sakura was glad. It was heartening to see that somethings never changed. Still, not wanting to encourage Ino's taunting, she forced down the smile threatening to break out.

"Well, Pig, seeing as we hardly had any time to see each other these last few days, why don't we sit down and catch up?" she asked the blonde, making sure to keep her face stoic just to annoy her friend.

Seemingly disappointed by the lack of reaction, Ino agreed. Dropping the gentle teasing, the two women sat down on the bench hidden among the leaves and began to speak of their days. Soon enough, their laugher was echoing across the temple grounds.

* * *

The next morning dawned upon the city like any other. As the sun slowly rose, bathing the world in beautiful hues of red, life at the temple had already started.

Up and getting ready for the day, Sakura slipped on an elaborate silk kimono with the help of her attendant. Moving quickly, her obi around her waist, she left her chambers and headed for the garden. Her footsteps echoed within the empty corridors as she walked. Once outside, she headed for the small fountain located near the entrance to the _haiden_**(3)**. There was a harsh wind, playing with her hair and blowing the hems of the fabric she wore.

Pacing down the pathway, she felt a chill trail down her spine. She felt ill at ease. It was almost as if the soothing presence of the Goddess had left her for that morning. Or could it have anything to do with the sun-rise she was gazing at right now, which seemed to have adopted a much redder glow than the one she was so used to seeing?

Upon reaching the fountain, she dipped her hands in. The water was cool and refreshing as she used it to splash her face, fully clearing her mind and waking her up. The young priestess cupped her hands under the stream, using the water to wash her mouth a few times. Now ready, she moved towards the stairs leading to the gates of the _haiden. _Before she could climb the first stairs, though, she was interrupted by a loud commotion.

Unused to seeing the peace of the shrine disturbed, much less this early in the morning, Sakura turned to face the group of young trainees rushing her way. Their panicked expressions and pale faces were enough to set her on edge. The group came to a stop before her and bowed in sync, panting from the exertion.

The pinkette motioned for them to stand up, alarm shooting through her.

"What is the matter? Is something wrong?" she inquired from the the girl standing closest to her, who also seemed to be the oldest one among the group.

Still trying to catch her breath, the young girl had to take a few more breaths before she could answer.

"A guard was sent here… from one of the watchtowers located at the edge of the forest, _Nikkō-sama_. Something of… interest was found near the walls this morning. He said that they are in need of your assistance, since the guards don't seem to know what to do."

That wasn't all, judging from the fear the girl's eyes clearly expressed, but Sakura let it go.

"What is your name, _Gakusei-san_**(4)**?" she asked instead.

"Kotori Yamauchi, _Nikkō__-sama_." The answer was timid, accompanied by another bow.

"Thank you for informing me, Yamauchi-_san_. I'll look into it at once."

Once the group left, the pinkette set to work immediately. Something had happened. That much was obvious. Even though she was both alarmed and curious, upon seeing the terror on the girl's face, she had refrained from asking anymore questions. The guard would probably inform her all the same, so there was no need to dally any longer. She quickly made her way back to her chambers, intending to find her attendant.

Barely ten minutes later, she had informed a shrine-keeper of her leaving and was on her way to the _torii_**(5)** leading into the temple grounds. Her attendant walked by her side, almost running to keep up with the priestess' steps.

Finally reaching the gates, the guard was easy enough to notice: standing to the side of the path, clad in the traditional armor standard for all forces of Konoha.

When he turned to face the newcomers, though, his sweaty face broke into a grin.

"Kiba-_san_?" Sakura was surprised. This was one of the guards who constantly got posted to watch over the temple grounds. Hinata even had a thing for him, if she remembered right. Seeing him had been unexpected.

"_Nikkō__-sama." _he greeted, bowing.

"Please, Kiba-_san_. You don't need to be so formal with me. We're friends."

Despite his reluctance at honoring the request, he complied.

"As you wish, Sakura-_san_."

"Now, if you don't mind me asking, what is this all about? Those trainees that informed me looked as if they'd seen the Kyuubi in the flesh."

At her question, Kiba's mirth was quick to disappear. He now had a somber look as he gazed into the eyes of the Head Priestess.

"We found a body at the outskirts of the forest this morning. She wore no specific identification, but we believe she was one of the _Suke_**(6)** of the shrine."

Sakura's eyes went wide at the revelation. One of the new Priestesses, dead? Suddenly, that feeling she had been repressing ever since dawn – the feeling that something was inexplicably wrong – washed over her once more. Hit with a sudden bout of dizziness, she leaned against a tree for support.

Shaking her head, she did her best to gather her stray thoughts.

"How was she killed?" she managed to ask, despite the slight tremor in her voice.

Kiba frowned, "You see, that's the strange thing. It's not easy to explain. It would be best if you see it for yourself."

If Sakura had had a bad feeling about this, now she was ready to bolt. What could have been so strange about her death that they hadn't even moved the body?

Or had they?

"Where is the body now?"

"Still where we found it. We decided not to move it till you'd taken a look."

Taking a deep breath and glancing back at her attendant, who looked as white as a sheet, she nodded to Kiba, silently telling him to lead the way.

Descending the long stairs leading down from the cliff took a while. When they finally made it to the level city grounds, they immediately took off toward the city gates.

As the sun had slowly but surely made its way high into the sky by then, a lot of the inhabitants of the city were already up and about. As they left their homes or walked to their destinations, all stopped to give a bow to their Head Priestess, murmuring a greeting. Sakura did her best to greet them back as she rushed after the guard, hoping to reach the gates as quickly as possible. Soon, they were visible.

They got out from the east gate, which led into the lush forest that surrounded most of Konoha. As they passed through the gates, Kiba barked out a short order. Immediately, three more guards had come to join the small group, surrounding the Priestess and her attendant from all sides.

The group finally reached their destination, just slightly into the tree line. There were another group of guards there, clearly awaiting their arrival and whispering among themselves. As Sakura and her escort came into view, though, all conversation ceased.

"_Nikkō__-sama." _they bowed.

Sakura swallowed her irritation and made a dismissive motion with her hand, "Forgive my rudeness, but I believe this is hardly the time for any formalities. Where is the body?"

The guards shared a look among themselves, before giving a nod and standing aside.

Sakura's breath hitched as she took her first look at the now revealed body. Tears stung her eyes as she struggled to swallow back the bile rising at her throat.

The corpse, clad in the distinctive kimono worn by most _Suke, _was lying on the forest floor. Her lusterless eyes, still wide open, were fixed upon a horror only she could see. Sakura couldn't stand looking at that face – that _face_, frozen and full of terror – and shifted her eyes to look at the rest of the body.

She immediately wished she hadn't.

That red color, which her numb mind had taken to be a design of the kimono at first glance… _Blood_, she realized. It was blood. The crimson liquid had _drenched_ the chest of the kimono and covered the ground the body was lying on. Despite wishing that it had, Sakura's keen eyes also hadn't failed to notice the giant hole upon the _Suke'_s chest, which the blood had apparently seeped from.

Hearing her poor attendant emptying the contents of her stomach, the young woman couldn't prevent her own from doing the same thing. As she gasped, body bent over the bushes at her side, she was dimly aware of someone holding her hair back for her. When she was sure that the initial shock had passed, the pinkette raised her head to see Kiba and gave him a shaky smile in thanks. His worried gaze was enough to tell her that he wasn't fooled.

Gathering herself as best as she could, Sakura took another look towards the body. Now that she knew what she was to see, it was slightly easier to inspect it. She walked over with wobbly steps, crouching down next to the lying figure.

Up close, it was much easier to understand why the guards had asked for her assistance. The corpse was completely covered in runes, drawn in smooth lines by an obviously experienced hand. They were foreign to her, drawn and arranged in a style she had never seen before. They ran over both skin and fabric, uninterrupted.

Feeling well enough to ask questions, Sakura licked her dry lips before she began.

"How long?"

Immediately knowing what she was referring to, one of the guards answered, "About six hours, maybe a bit less. She was probably attacked during the night, but the thing is: why was she out here in the first place?"

Sakura frowned. Indeed, that was strange. It was unusual to find someone outside the city walls after midnight, as the gates would be closed by then.

"Were you able to find any sign of struggle?"

"Unfortunately, no. That's another thing. It almost looks as if she dropped dead on the spot. But we will continue looking. There are bound to be some clues."

The young woman nodded in agreement.

"Haven't you noticed something else, _Nikkō-sama?"_

She turned to look at the guard, an eyebrow raised in confusion. The guard gulped, before steeling himself and gesturing back at the body.

"Her heart is missing, _Nikkō-sama_."

Sakura flinched, before spinning around to look at the figure. At her chest, specifically.

She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, doing her best to hold on to her composure for as long as possible.

"Keiko." Her attendant looked at her with fearful eyes, listening for what she had to say.

"Go back to the temple. Take a bath and meditate… relax, clear your mind. That's an order." She added the last part when Keiko opened her mouth to protest.

Defeated, the young attendant took her leave with a bow.

Looking at the guards standing around her, she issued her orders.

"Inform Tsunade-sama of this incident. Tell her that as much as I hate to disturb her, this matter requires her attention. I have no knowledge on the meaning of runes such as these."

She took another look at them. "I'll also need ink and parchment to copy these down." she said as she started flashing through hand-seals, preparing a protection technique to preserve the body for as long as possible.

One guard took off with a salute.

"Yes, _Nikkō-sama_!"

* * *

_**Chapter Notes:**_

**(1)Sakaki**** tree:** a tree native to Korea, Japan and mainland China. It is considered sacred in the Shinto religion.

**(2)Nikkō****:** sun; sunlight. It is the title given to the Head Priestess of the temple in Konoha, due to the belief that she is the most dedicated servant of Amaterasu –the Goddess of the Sun.

**(3)Haiden****:** the part of the shrine called "Hall of worship", where most prayers are made.

**(4)Gakusei:** student; pupil.

**(5)Torii:** a traditional Japanese gate through which people enter the shrine grounds.

**(6)Suke****: **assistant. Also used as a title to refer to the new priestesses within the Konoha temple.

I would appreciate it if someone who knows Japanese could help me out with the titles and such ^^; I really need the help.

**AN: So, here is the new chapter! I did my best to make it longer. Please tell me what you think? Flames are bad, as they have no point what-so-ever, but I'd gladly accept constructive critism. **

**Guess what? Today is my birthday...so review! Pretty please? *u***


	3. Author's Note

Hello everyone!

This is not a chapter, and I'm really sorry for this. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning this story. If you visited my profile, you know that I had put this story on a hiatus because of my exams. I did my best to write the next chapter whenever I had the time, but I hit a snag.

You see, there are certain turning points in the fic and at that point, there are several ways this story could go. I haven't really decided which one I'm going to choose yet, but I do know that it will be clear to me once I get there. The problem is, depending on where I take the story, I might have to make changes in the previous chapters. I've already decided to change the title, as it no longer fits what I had in mind.

To sum it up, I had a long talk with some of my friends and decided that it would be best to finish the story first before uploading any more chapters. Let's face it: it would be a nuisance both to me and the readers if I had to change and re-upload the chapters that had already been read.

This was a difficult choice to make, since I enjoy getting feedback on the latest chapter before writing the next one. But I believe this is for the best. I don't know how long it'll take me to finish this story, or if I'll finish it at all. IF I decide to drop the story, I'll post all the chapters I have written till then, and if people ask for it, maybe even the plot. Because I know I hate it when a story I like is left unfinished with me having no idea of how it would have ended.

Thank you for your patience and have a nice day~


End file.
